Doing business with the Enemy

[zymote]

(CBS)_Did it ever occur to you that when President Bush says, "Money is the lifeblood of terrorist operations," he's talking about your money -- and every other American's money?

Just about everyone with a 401(k) pension plan or mutual fund has money invested in companies that are doing business in so-called rogue states.

In other words, there are U.S. companies that are helping drive the economies of countries like Iran, Syria and Libya that have sponsored terrorists. Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports.

full story here

[Adam D]

Here comes the anti-CBS propaganda.

[zymote]

I'll beat 'em to the punch:

ALL THOSE LIBERAL MEDIA OUTLETS ARE JUST COMMUNISTS AND SHOULD BE SHOT FOR REPORTING ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T CONFORM TO MY NEOCON IDEALS BY IGNORING THE FACTS AND TWISTING THE TRUTH TO SAY WHATEVER I WANT THEM TO!!!!!11

How was that? Heh... the whole "liberal media" scam still makes me chuckle, even though it's scary how many drones buy into that particular lie. It's really scary what people are willing to believe if it gratifies their ego.

it is odd that the only biased media is biased on the right....the evil FOX network

[johnny861]

Originally posted by xiannaix
it is odd that the only biased media is biased on the right....the evil FOX network

I'm starting to feel that it is less the news as it is people arguing that whichever piece of news doesn't agree with their spin on things is, in itself, a spin on the news...

[Ryan]

Originally posted by xiannaix
it is odd that the only biased media is biased on the right....the evil FOX network

WTF? Complaining about liberal bias in the media is the national pastime of American conservatives. But anyway, Johnny is right on. people generally don't want the news to report anything that does not fit their agenda, however true the story may be. If it isn't what you want to hear, just call is "biased" and discount the entire thing. I think Limbaugh invented this technique, though it is commonly used by the left as well.

Originally posted by Ryan
WTF? Complaining about liberal bias in the media is the national pastime of American conservatives. But anyway, Johnny is right on. people generally don't want the news to report anything that does not fit their agenda, however true the story may be. If it isn't what you want to hear, just call is "biased" and discount the entire thing. I think Limbaugh invented this technique, though it is commonly used by the left as well.

You and Johnny are both saying exactly what I meant by my comment - "news" is dressed up regardless of the dresser

[Ryan]

Originally posted by xiannaix
You and Johnny are both saying exactly what I meant by my comment - "news" is dressed up regardless of the dresser

Noted.

Yeah, the liberal media thing kills me too. Goes right along with our so-called freedom of speech, though the internet is doing a good job of winning this battle.

Poeple don't understand that the media is only as liberal as the companies that own them, that why they have editors and senoir editors whatever. Sure you can write what ever you want, but it won't get pulished. Go to the Star-Telegram and show them all of the anti-war work you've done and how you've exposed all Bush's lies, think they will hire you...fuck no!!! Even if you do get hired your work still has to be approved, and if someone lets out a story thats too lets say"judgemental", poeple get canned. Its happened several times. So actually there is no free speech, its only free within a certain boundry, everything inside is ok, but don't cross the invisible line.

Originally posted by solointer
Yeah, the liberal media thing kills me too. Goes right along with our so-called freedom of speech, though the internet is doing a good job of winning this battle.

Poeple don't understand that the media is only as liberal as the companies that own them, that why they have editors and senoir editors whatever. Sure you can write what ever you want, but it won't get pulished. Go to the Star-Telegram and show them all of the anti-war work you've done and how you've exposed all Bush's lies, think they will hire you...fuck no!!! Even if you do get hired your work still has to be approved, and if someone lets out a story thats too lets say"judgemental", poeple get canned. Its happened several times. So actually there is no free speech, its only free within a certain boundry, everything inside is ok, but don't cross the invisible line.

1) media bias exists - on both ends of the spectrum, even internally in a single media outleft and even among individual issues - meaning..... although certainly most outlets tend to be consistent with their leanings - CBS (or whomever) can demonstrate a left or right bias depending on the issue

2) you exhibit a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of free speech

Originally posted by xiannaix
1) media bias exists - on both ends of the spectrum, even internally in a single media outleft and even among individual issues - meaning..... although certainly most outlets tend to be consistent with their leanings - CBS (or whomever) can demonstrate a left or right bias depending on the issue

2) you exhibit a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of free speech

OK please inform me of this "fundamental" understaning of free speech. Free speech is defined as the right to express one's opinions publicly...this is sujectable to ones point of view.

Originally posted by solointer
OK please inform me of this "fundamental" understaning of free speech. Free speech is defined as the right to express one's opinions publicly...this is sujectable to ones point of view.

Indeed - but the only entity that can impinge upon that right is the government.

You cannot sue a private party, corporation or any other entity for abridging your right to free speech.

Go ahead and express away - you have no right to be heard.....only to express your opinion.

Your suggestion that the media, by failing to report issue x y or z, has stepped on some one's right to free speech is inaccurate.

What would be more accurate is that the media may not find the room to print all that's fit

Yeah right...they "conveniently" don't have enough space. I'm just going to disagree with that.

But you make a good point, I don't have right to be heard.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that we are in way limiting our freedom of speech.

Your right, corporations can't be held accoutable for censoring speech. The monopoly just makes it hard to break out of the boundry of what is acceptable.

So for me, its all how you look at it.

[johnny861]

The Irony in doing business with the enemy is this is nothing new... Why should we be so self-righteous?

Every powerful nation does this... Is it to be of a shock that the US does it to?


It should be of a concern.. but if its for wrestling the under-the-table interests from the likes of France of Russia, then maybe there are underhanded, somewhat classified reasons behind these actions...


The funny thing about the civilian population questions things like this is about the equivalent of a kid with his eyes blindfolded, guessing what his brothers birthday gift is going to be while his parents are wrapping it, when their parents know if he sees, his brother is instatnly going to be informed of it...

Why don't they tell us? Why is everything so classified?

Well.. I could be wrong... but I think maybe 12,000 years of history of countries backstabbing eachother and getting the upperhand on one another might have something to do with it... just perhaps...

I mean, I could be totally wrong... so let's declassify all our secrets.. back out of every country.. and close our eyes to the world and see what happens...

And while everybody is doing this... I'm emigrating to Germany...

Originally posted by solointer
Yeah right...they "conveniently" don't have enough space. I'm just going to disagree with that.

But you make a good point, I don't have right to be heard.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that we are in way limiting our freedom of speech.

Your right, corporations can't be held accoutable for censoring speech. The monopoly just makes it hard to break out of the boundry of what is acceptable.

So for me, its all how you look at it.

We are not limiting our feedom of speech at all....

What I think you mean to say is that not everyone's message gets to an audience - so the scope may be limited in what is "published" but your right to publish hasn't been curtailed.